Fast catamaran ferries speed between Istanbul and the towns of Yalova, Bursa (Güzelyalı), Bursa (Mudanya), and Bandırma on the south shore of the Sea of Marmara, connecting Istanbul with Bursa, İznik (Nicaea), and towns in the Aegean region (map).
There are more frequent departures in summer than in winter. Some ferries carry only foot passengers, some carry both cars and foot passengers.
Istanbul - Bursa Ferries
There are two ferry companies providing sea transportation between Istanbul and Bursa: İDO and BUDO.
İDO means Istanbul Sea Buses (İstanbul Deniz Otobüsü) and BUDO means Bursa Sea Buses (Bursa Deniz Otobüsü). While İDO operates from Kabataş, Yenikapı, and Kadıköy to Bursa Güzelyalı direction, BUDO provides service to Bursa Mudanya from Eminönü/Sirkeci pier.
Four docks in Istanbul are used for the ferry services:
Kabataş Docks
İDO catamaran passenger ferries use Istanbul‘s Kabataş docks on the Bosphorus at the northern end of the Bağcılar-Kabataş T1 tram line. If you don’t need a car ferry, Kabataş is probably the most convenient place to catch a ferry to Bursa.
Yenikapı Docks
İDO car ferries to Yalova, Bursa (Güzelyalı), and Bandırma use the Yenikapı Feribot Terminalı on the Sea of Marmara coast.
Passenger-only İDO ferries serving other docks within Istanbul, and also Bandırma, use Yenikapı. (Passenger-only İDO ferries to Bursa (Güzelyalı) use Kabataş.) Ride the Marmaray from Üsküdar or Sirkeci to easily reach Yenikapı.
You can check the ferry schedules here.
Eminönü Docks
You can reach Bursa, Mudanya direction from Eminönü/Sirkeci pier with BUDO ferry services. You can also use Eminönü pier to go to Bursa.
Buying your tickets in advance is a good idea. You can find out the departure times on BUDO's website.
Car Ferries
You don’t need a car to ride these ferries. Foot passengers are welcome as well. If the departure times of the passenger ferries described above do not work for you, a car ferry departure might.
Istanbul – Yalova Car Ferries
Passenger-only ferries depart at least 3 times daily from Kartal, 20 km (12.5 miles) southeast of Kadıköy, to Yalova. (Note that the Pendik car ferry docks are only 5 km (3 miles) east of Kartal, with more sailings per day.)
İDO car ferries depart both Istanbul (Yenikapı) and Yalova. The voyage takes 75 minutes.
Pendik (Istanbul) – Yalova Car Ferries
A shorter, faster car ferry service from Istanbul‘s Asian suburb of Pendik runs to Yalova. Pendik-to-Yalova would be your better choice if you find yourself on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The voyage takes only 45 minutes.
Istanbul – Bursa (Güzelyalı) Car Ferries
İDO car-and-passenger feribots connect Güzelyalı, near Bursa, with Istanbul‘s Yenikapı Feribot Terminalı, departing at least two times daily, making the voyage in 90 minutes.
Istanbul – Bandırma Car Ferries
At least one İDO car ferry makes the 2-hour voyage between Istanbul (Yenikapı) and Bandırma, with more voyages possible in summer, depending on the month and the day of the week.
Dardanelles Car Ferries
Conventional car ferries cross the Dardanelles between Gelibolu and Lapseki, and Eceabat and Çanakkale, frequently all day, and through the night.
Avşa Island Car Ferries
In summer there is also İDO service connecting Istanbul with Avşa and Marmara islands on a daily basis. During spring and fall, you can also benefit from this service but make sure you check the schedules first. There are both passenger and car ferry options.
—by Tom Brosnahan, updated by Melike Kocaer
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